Return To Normal
by Miran Anders
Summary: Yet another episode tag to Conversion. Elizabeth and John find their way back to level ground. Gently JE. Recent rewrites.


I know several versions of the 'missing scene' have already been written, but I couldn't resist.

I don't own anything except the idea...

oooOOOooo

Elizabeth Weir sat stirring her tea, staring blankly into the dark, swirling liquid. After a long moment she inhaled deeply and looked towards the graceful amber and clear angles of the windows in the main cafeteria.

_I wonder when we'll discover that Frank Lloyd Wright was an ancient. _

She shook her head with a rueful grin and looked back down at the table. Soon after, a figure padded toward her with the silent grace of a jungle cat, and Elizabeth glanced up, nearly startled.

"Teyla. How is…?"

The honey-skinned warrior sat down opposite the leader of Atlantis and gave a small, sympathetic grin. "Improving. We sparred today." She shrugged, the edge of a grin curving her lips. "Gently."

"Oh?"

"I doubt that he'll be able to challenge me properly any time soon." Elizabeth's expression, as it wavered between pleased and …something else, made Teyla shake her head. "And you should know, Elizabeth - he apologized."

"Ah." Doctor Weir looked down at the tablecloth again, opened her mouth and closed it again. When she lifted her eyes to look at the younger woman, she managed a smile. "You know, you didn't have to tell me any of… what happened …"

Teyla shrugged, lean muscles moving in her bare shoulders like liquid steel. "It meant nothing to me, and I doubt it meant anything to the John Sheppard we know. I told you. It is truth."

Elizabeth laughed quietly. "Yes." She leaned forward to speak more quietly. "I believe you."

"Good." Teyla sat back and tilted her head to the side. "I believe you should speak with him."

"I agree entirely. _But_ –" now the diplomat held up a slender finger, her eyebrows rising. "I'm going to give him all the time he needs. It was traumatic for him. He needs to adjust to things being normal again."

Teyla appeared to be looking over imaginary reading glasses. "Elizabeth –"

"Yes?"

The younger woman shrugged a sigh. "Nothing."

"Teyla… what?" Doctor Weir frowned at her friend. "What is it?"

The Athosian looked vaguely uncomfortable, and dropped into formality as was her habit in such instances. "Doctor Weir, you must realize that I mean no disrespect."

"Good Lord, Teyla. I don't think you're capable of insulting me. Just say –"

The other woman broke in abruptly. "Are you convinced you're staying away for _his_ sake?"

The doctor froze. "What? Why else?"

"Come, Elizabeth. You were hurt. You were _violated_."

"It wasn't –"

"I know. It wasn't his fault. But it _was_ still largely _his_ body. His hands. His –"

Elizabeth held up her palms, closing her eyes. "All right. All right. I get it." She shook her head and dropped her face into her hands. "Argh. I get it."

Teyla smiled gently, speaking in a voice very like Weir's. "It's all right. Take all the time you need to adjust to things being _normal_." Elizabeth spread her fingers to look at Teyla through them and they both laughed. "Of course, if you put a little more time into the defensive moves I taught you, you could have," she paused, frowned, and leaned closer to speak quietly. "I believe the phrase is_ kicked his sorry behind_." They laughed again.

"You know, Teyla, you're right." She looked thoughtfully at the windows. "Maybe I should stop and see Kate-"

"In addition," Teyla said quickly, her eyes focused on her hands, "I realize that I was a little insulted that it wasn't me."

Elizabeth blinked several times, then pulled her head back with a curious frown. "Insulted? That he hit on you instead of trying to kill you?"

The warrior woman managed to look uncharacteristically sheepish as she shifted in her seat. "Yes. The primative creature he became saw me as potential breeding stock, but it saw you -"

They were interrupted by a call on the headsets. Doctor Weir refocused automatically, although she still stared incredulously at her friend. "Weir." A voice that managed to sound frantic, annoyed and superior all at the same time erupted loudly in their ears.

"Elizabeth, this is McKay – can you come to the lab?"

She raised an eyebrow at Teyla and rolled her eyes. "Of course, Rodney. I'm on my way."

oooOOOooo

The lab doors whooshed open and Elizabeth walked in. A frown furrowed her brow as she looked around.

"Rodney?"

The seemingly distracted scientist appeared from behind a bank of monitors. "Ah, yes. Good. Elizabeth." McKay looked toward the door, nervously, and then back at Weir. "Thanks for… coming down. What I wanted to show you is in the other lab. Down the hall. A ways."

"Other lab?"

"Yes. Follow me."

Elizabeth tilted her head suspiciously, recognizing the child trying to get away with something. "Rodney? What's going on?"

He threw his hands up in a melodramatic huff. "Why am I always questioned?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes but followed him.

They walked some twenty yards down the hall and into a smaller room. "I, ah, wanted you to come down to, ah…" The doors of the smaller lab opened behind them once more. "Ah. Good. "

Colonel John Sheppard walked wearily into the lab, staring at McKay. While his outward appearance was normal, there was a certain sparkle missing in his eyes. "All right, Rodney, what's going-" He saw Elizabeth and froze, his fists tightening slowly. "Rodney?"

Elizabeth echoed him. "Rodney? What the-"

McKay slipped past Sheppard and through the door behind him. His hand flew to the controls near the door and a force field shimmered into place. His eyes lit up triumphantly. "There. You see? Perfect!"

"Rodney. What the hell is going on?"

"New force field. I wanted to show you both." He looked back and forth between them nervously. "Turns out several of the labs have them built in. They don't hurt, either." He demostrated by touching the field, pushing his hand flat against seemingly thin air. "Pretty impressive, eh?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms and stepped closer to the door, standing next to Sheppard. With a voice like the mother of a precocious toddler, she said, "Very nice, Rodney. Now let us out."

"Yeah. Now."

Rodney looked back and forth between them briefly and looked more nervous. "Ah. Sure." He fumbled with the controls and frowned somewhat artificially. "Oh, dear."

"_Oh, dear?_"

"Rodney?"

"It looks like the controls… ah…" He looked at them once more, then turned back to the hall. "Ah…I'll be right back."

"Rodney!" Weir and Sheppard crowded near the door, yelling together at the retreating form of the scientist.

"For the love of…" Sheppard slammed his fist against the barrier. "What kind of lame-brained –"

"Totally irresponsible –"

They turned and looked at each other, suddenly realizing their close proximity. John immediately took a step back. "Sorry." He glanced down the hall again, then stepped back into the lab, paced a moment, and leaned back against a counter, rubbing a hand over his face.

Elizabeth watched him, worry clouding her eyes as she stepped toward him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She backed away at his harsh tone, and an awkward silence enveloped them for a few minutes. Finally, the diplomat tried to ease the atmosphere. Doctor Weir turned and looked at him. "How have you been feeling, John? Carson says you're doing well…"

"I said, I'm fine." She nodded, staring at the floor, and John eventually sighed. "Sorry."

"It's all right."

"No, it's not." Pushing a hand back through his tousled hair, he seemed to sag. "Eli– Doctor Weir…"

"_Doctor Weir_?" She frowned, a touch of real anger coloring her cheek as her voice took on a commanding tone. "Have we come to _that_?"

"Look, I just –"

"Just _what_?" Her anger brought her a pace closer to him.

"Elizabeth –" They were mere inches apart, staring into each other. John opened his mouth, closed it again. He looked up at the ceiling and exhaled before looking back to her. "Elizabeth."

Her angry expression slowly diffused as she looked up into his darkly troubled eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be pressuring you."

"No, wait." He shifted as if he would back away from her, but he was standing with his back to the counter, essentially trapped. "_I'm_ sorry."

"Listen –"

Anger with himself spilled out in the man's voice. "No, you listen. I can't believe what happened. I can't believe what I did. I can't believe you're actually able to stand there without –"

"Without what?"

"Without…" He stopped, looked away, looked back. When he spoke his voice was quiet, strained. "This whole team exists, _survives_, because of trust. And I - " The Colonel shook his head. "I don't know how you can possibly ever trust me again."

For a long moment Elizabeth Weir stared at John, thinking. Thinking about how difficult it was to not imagine the creature that he had been reduced to. Thinking about how often this man had saved Atlantis, saved this team. Saved _her_.

"John…" Words failed her as she felt the despair, the pain coming from the Colonel. With calm determination she took his hand. Abruptly she placed his tense palm at her throat, purposely resting it exactly as it had threatened her such a short time ago. He tried to pull away but she held his wrist, staring confidently into his eyes. "I trust you with my life. I always will."

The colonel opened his mouth to speak, closed it again as he felt the power, the absolute sincerity of her expression. He looked away, struggling to keep his composure, and when he looked back made a conscious effort to relax his hand. Slowly he opened it to rest against his leader's neck, so gently it was more of a caress than anything else. His voice came as a rough whisper.

"Elizabeth. I am so sorry."

"It's all right."

They melted into an embrace, standing there and holding each other for a long time. When they stepped apart, there was a barely awkward moment as they looked again into each other's eyes. That moment was broken when they heard McKay's voice.

"Okay, I think I can open this now…"

"Rodney. That was a dirty trick."

He smiled smugly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fine, Rodney. Just get us out of here. Please."

"Fine." The scientist pushed several buttons on the door controls with a poorly hidden smirk on his face. "Maybe now things can get back to…" Rodney's expression changed as he stepped forward to enter the lab and bumped into a wall of nothing, and he frowned at the still standing field. "What the..." he looked at the control panel again. "That can't be right…"

"Rodney. Enough's enough."

McKay pushed his hands against the field like an overzealous mime, an expression of technological betrayal on his face. "This doesn't make any sense!"

"Rodney!" John and Elizabeth yelled together.

"Hang on, hang on. Let me get Zelenka. He said..."

Sheppard and Weir watched as the scientist scuttled down the hall in pursuit of assistance, then turned and looked at each other.

"Well." Elizabeth glanced around the room with a sigh.

"Yeah." John hopped up to sit on a lab table and patted the spot next to him, inviting Elizabeth to join him. "Have a seat. Knowing those two, this could be a while."

"They're quite efficient in emergencies..."

"And quite argumentative in non-emergencies. I'm guessing this qualifies as a good long bilingual blowout."

Weir laughed as she hopped up to sit next to him. They sat for a while, John kicking his feet against the table absently. After a few moments Elizabeth slapped her hand to her forehead, stood up and chuckled to herself.

"What's so funny?"

"I _just_ realized what Teyla was talking about."

John tensed at Teyla's name, but attempted to sound casual as he hopped off the table and took a step away from Elizabeth, pretending to look around the lab. "You were... talking with Teyla?"

She couldn't resist. "All the time."

"Ah." He shifted uncomfortably. "What'd she say?"

Elizabeth glanced at him sideways, wondering if he would be able to be glib about this yet - and the leader of Atlantis decided it was worth a try. "Frankly, she seemed rather insulted that 'the creature' didn't try to kill _her_."

He spun on his heel to stare at her, shocked. "What? Why?"

"Because, I just realized, the primative brain has very set priorities. Food, territory... mating." He rolled his eyes and sagged against the table. "But clearly she felt I was honored, because I wasn't seen... in that way."

John put his hands over his face. "Please get to the part where trying to kill you is honoring you."

Elizabeth laughed, and he peeked through his fingers at her. "Don't you see, John? I was challenged as the _leader_. Perhaps not the strongest, but the one in charge of this territory." She shook her head as she realized the truth in what she said. "Even when reduced to your most primative instincts, I was acknowledged as... the alpha." She looked down at the floor, a bit shyly. "Teyla sees that kind of respect as a supreme compliment, and... so do I. Thank you."

John dropped his hands and stared at her profile for a long moment. When he spoke, it was with unusually soft sincerity. "Anytime." When she glanced back at him, they had a self-concious moment before he put on his customary bravado and hopped up on the table again. "So."

"So?"

"What do we do while we wait?" He turned a casual glance toward her that was now relaxed, and laden with wry humor.

"We could… play a game."

"Game?"

"Or chat."

"Chat."

She chuckled at his tone and yawned involuntarily. "Or we _could_ take a nap."

"A _nap_?"

"It's been a long week."

When Rodney and company finally shut off the force field, they found the two leaders of the Atlantis expedition sound asleep, lying on the lab table. Somehow they had managed to drift off, John with his jacket rolled into a pillow, Elizabeth using his shoulder.

"It appears you were right, Rodney."

The scientist gave a pleased grin. "Yes. Worked out rather nicely, I think."

"Should we wake them?"

"Let's just leave the field off. They'll wake up when they wake up."

"Fine."

Zelenka left the room first, and Rodney stood for a moment in the doorway, watching his friends sleep. His voice was a quiet smirk before he walked out of the room.

"There. Remember. You _owe_ me."


End file.
